Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-28

Hibiy Of tAe state Qf Fremont That there b..
and hereby Is. constituted and established a High
school FOR Young masters, ladies' and misses, in
the east village of the town Of Brattleboro in the
county Of Nndhlm. in this state: and that John
H9i3rook, Francis Goodhue, Joseph Fessenden,
John l.. Dickrrman Gardner C. Hall Samuel
Root. Paul Chase. Henry Smith, Henry Clark
Philip Hall ami William K. Hays, and their sue
ctss"rs, be- trustees Of the same and they and
their associates ami Successors are hereby const
tuted body polite and corporate, Ia be-. known
and distinguished 10y the name and style of the
b'dtHth"r". ItW school dissolution and by
that name shall have succession, and may sue and
he sued, plead aud he implraded contract and be
contracted with; may have common seal. and
the same alter at pleasure; make and establish
such by laws rules and regulations As shall from
time In time, appear necessary 10 said curpOra-
Ton not repuguaut To the laws Of this state Of
grant, gift, purchase devise. or otherwise real
and personal estate to the amount of thirty thou.
sand dollars, and the same use, improve, manage
and appropriate Tor the benefit OF said school
SEC II is hereby further enacted That the
officers of said association shall be appointed an
nually on the first Tuesday Of April at the hall
of the High School in said Brattieboro' by ma.
Jority of the members present at said annual
meeting; and IN voting upon this, as upon all 9th
er business which may come before the corpora
ton, each share Of the stock If said association
shall entitle the owner thereof to one vote
PrOrided, That any future legislature may al
ter amend or repeal this act.
At the same session, and ten days earli-
or, was passed the original act incorporat-
careful search Of the real estate rec
ords by Mr. Newton shows that the land ON
which the building was erected, and ON
which the present building stands. was
owned originally 10y Francis Goodhue and
John Holbrook In 1928 and 1929 "A consid-
cradle tract IN that vicinity was sold 10 Dr.
Philip Hall, and from this he made several
sales March p, 1881, he executed a bond
to John Holhrook, Francis Goodhue. and
Il. g. Hall, in the sum of $4,000, 10 sell and
convey to them or their representatives.
upon request certain portion of that land,
and it was on this that the High school
building was erected. A deed of the land
was never given until almost ten years later
when the property passed into the hands of
District No. and the school became pub.
lie school
According to the best recollection of per
sons now living the High school building
was erected during the year 1882, or lust
previous 10 the passage of the act of incor-
poratlon. Probably the first term of school
m the building was kept during the winter
or spring of 1898 Mr. John w. Frost
Taught the last two terms Of school in the
| old school house ON the common which were
held there previous to the opening of the
High school. He recalls that he had some
| 100 pupils in the school which he taught
with only one assistant, Miss Arabella Ran
| ger, sister of Mr. Bethuel Ranger.
The High school of that dav was not a
/ High school in the sense in which the term
| Is used since the establishment of our grad
/ ed school system. Ii was not public schocl,
hut was more properly a select school or
academy established and maintained for
the benefit of those who wished and could
afford to give their children better school
advantages than We're provided by the dis
trlct schools All pupils who attended paid
"A stated sum for tuition.
The first teacher of the school was Mr.
Mexican, young man of bright mind and
versatile parts who was "a leader and cen.
tral figure in the community so long as he
remained here. After him came Mr.. Meek
er who afterward entered the ministry
Mr.. Packard, Mr. Kimball John Brown,
brother of Rev. Addison Brown, Aldnct
Walker, afterward Rev. DR.. Walker, and
Samuel II, Price,
10 obtain now complete list of those
who attended the first term of the schoo
under Mr. Mexican is impossible. but thes,
names are recalled by Mr. Henry Burnhan
and Mr.. Geo II. CLARK, who were them
selves of the number Chas. Harris ,
nephew of the late Dr. Chaplin, A. A. Bar
ker, Theodore Barber, w. A. Dickinson
Belinda Elliot, Eliza Fessenden. William
and Henry Elliot, Hiram Farnsworth NOV
secretary of the Kansas board of eduea